Kissing
by tastewithouttalent
Summary: "Toudou isn't trying to startle Makishima. He's really not." Toudou confuses Makishima and tries to explain himself, with some success.


Toudou isn't _trying_ to startle Makishima.

He's really not. Toudou is very good at teasing, so good at it that sometimes he does it without thinking at all, but it took all of two races before he realized that too much will send Makishima shying back from him like he's some kind of threat, as if his words are sharp-edged and can draw blood instead of just attention, and after that he's tried to restrain himself. It's hard - subtlety isn't something that comes naturally to Toudou - but he does okay, most of the time. At least Makishima doesn't look quite so skittish of him anymore, and if it's not direct affection yet Toudou will take what he can get.

Part of it is just his enthusiasm. Toudou never gets to race with anyone like he does with Makishima; the fact that he won this round is an added benefit but nothing like necessary to cause the sparkling joy that is fizzing his energy even higher than usual, keeping his mouth curved into a smile even when he doesn't think about it actively. He's thrilling with lingering adrenaline, happiness and satisfaction blending warm in his veins, and he's not quite ready to let Makishima leave so he goes looking for him, wanders through the event grounds looking for the shine of the other boy's hair.

Makishima's not difficult to find, though from the way he's slouched forward over his knees he's not expecting anyone to be looking for him. And Toudou is too pleased by his success to restrain himself, still flying high on the buzz of the race, and _maybe_ when he chirps "_Maki-chan!_" it's louder than it should be, maybe he approaches from Makishima's back so the other boy can't see him coming. It doesn't matter; Makishima jumps visibly, tension collecting tight in his shoulders as he twists around to look up at Toudou.

"Oh." Some of the tension bleeds off, though not quite all of it, as Makishima recognizes him. "Toudou."

"This race was _amazing_," Toudou burbles, relying on enthusiasm to apologize for him as he leans his bike against the tree Makishima's sitting against and folds himself to sit cross-legged next to the other boy. Makishima looks at his knees, lets out a breath that sounds like a resigned sigh, but Toudou chooses to ignore that and goes on talking in an effort to infuse Makishima with some of his own effusive delight. "The weather was perfect, wasn't it? Especially just at the top of the hill, that first gust of wind was amazing, like it was just for us, don't you think?"

"I guess," Makishima says. He still sounds unimpressed, but he's watching Toudou's face instead of his legs. That's _progress_.

"Are you upset you didn't win?" Toudou asks. "We'll have another race, you know, you can make this one up next time. Unless you weren't feeling well. Are you okay?" He leans in closer, blinks at Makishima as if he can distinguish the difference between the other boy's normal pallor and the white of illness.

Makishima huffs a laugh, grins that sharp smirk of his. The last of the tension is gone from his shoulders, he looks nearly relaxed. "I'm perfectly healthy."

"Well then I won fair and square!" Toudou declares, letting his mouth curve back into a smile. "We'll have another race soon, though, right Maki-chan?"

"I have another race next month," Makishima says, tipping his head back against the tree trunk and watching Toudou with amusement still lingering at his lips. "I guess, if you're going to that."

"Of course I am," Toudou declares. "As if I'd miss a chance to race you. Don't be ridiculous."

Makishima's mouth pulls tighter, like there's a sincere smile trying to break free that he's holding back, and for just a minute the blue in his eyes looks soft instead of distant, like something that has been holding Toudou at arm's length has relaxed and let him in closer.

It is possible that Toudou's reaction is _slightly_ excessive. It's definitely not something he _planned_, and not what he was _expecting_ to do today, but Makishima not actively pulling away feels as good as an invitation in comparison to his usual edgy resistance, and Toudou's just reacting to that magnetism when he leans in to catch the edge of Makishima's mouth with his.

He would expect Makishima's lips to be tense, thin with his perpetual smirk and cool and resistant, but as soon as Toudou's mouth touches his all the air leaves Makishima's lungs at once, the other boy's mouth drops into soft shock, and his lips are _warm_, wet and catching at Toudou's as the other boy shifts against him.

Toudou lingers longer than he intended to, caught up in the damp heat of Makishima's mouth under his; he's just thinking about pushing for more, maybe licking the other boy's lip into slick warmth, when Makishima takes a sharp breath Toudou can recognize as panic even without seeing and jerks back.

"What -" he starts, brings his arm up as if to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, but his eyes lock onto Toudou's face and his motion stalls out so he just has his arm in front of his mouth. "What are you _doing_?"

"Kissing you," Toudou says. "What do you think I'm doing?"

Makishima blinks like Toudou has said something totally incomprehensible. His hand is still in front of his mouth, muffling the usual sharp edge of his voice into softer confusion. "_Why_?"

Of all the things Makishima could ask, this is the only thing that could stall Toudou's thoughts as thoroughly as it does. "What?"

"Why are you kissing me?" Makishima repeats. He's starting to look frightened, now, his shock hardening into panicked rejection like he's thinking about getting to his feet and darting away, and Toudou has the sudden sharp realization that if he says the wrong thing Makishima may never speak to him again.

"Because I want to," he says, speaking softer than usual, slower than usual, more honestly than usual. "I've wanted to for a while."

Makishima blinks at him. His arm lowers an inch, though it's still slanted protectively in front of his chest. "_Why_?"

There's so much genuine confusion in the word that Toudou has trouble understanding the question. "Why do I want to kiss you?"

"Yeah."

It's Toudou's turn to blink. "Because I like you." It's only his confidence in his own opinions that keeps that from swinging up into a question under the self-conscious panic in Makishima's eyes. "You're beautiful."

Makishima makes a sound. It takes Toudou a moment to realize it's a _laugh_, a choked humorless laugh of disbelief.

"I'm _serious_," he protests, and when Makishima's eyes are still dark with skepticism he reaches out, closes his hand on the other boy's shoulder. "You really think I'm teasing you?"

"No one's ever wanted to kiss me before," Makishima says, as if it's patently obvious, as if maybe Toudou is a little slow to not have seen this earlier.

Toudou huffs, tosses his hair back from his face. "Well. I'm not _no one_, okay? _I _want to kiss you and that's all that matters." He reaches out to touch Makishima's hair, brush it back behind his ear so the sunlight hits the angular features of the other boy's face. "I don't want you kissing anyone else anyway."

Makishima starts to blush. It's not an attractive blush, or it shouldn't be; it's crimson, red and angry like a sunburn creeping across his cheekbones, and it clashes with his hair even more than he usually does.

He's the most gorgeous thing Toudou's ever seen.

"Can I kiss you again?" Toudou asks, because words alone are clearly not getting through entirely, and Makishima keeps looking at his mouth like he's thinking about reciprocating but too shy to try. The other boy's flush deepens, spreads out until it's climbing up towards his hairline, but when he moves his head it's a nod, and when Toudou leans back in for another kiss he doesn't shy away.


End file.
